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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Ballot Or The Bullet

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The Civil Rights Movement, occurring in the mid-20th century, proved to be a time of intense struggle and injustice for the black community as they clamored with systematic oppression. Malcolm X, a prominent leader in the movement, innovated the values and philosophies of America. X had a verifiable mastery of the English language, which granted him the upper hand amongst other activists. “The Ballot or the Bullet,” one of X’s most famous speeches given in Detroit, Michigan on 12 April 1964, teems with a flabbergasting amount of rhetorical devices. Malcolm X uses matured rhetoric, such as anaphora, contrasting ideas, and repetition, to manipulate the masses into a position in which they will muster behind his means of attaining racial equity. …show more content…

Malcolm X gainsays the phrase “the ballot or the bullet” by saying “1964 looks like it might be the year of the ballot or the bullet” (X n. pag.). His juxtaposition of two stances on racial equality illuminates the urgent need for change, whether it be through the path of the ballot or the bullet. The culmination of this maxim resulted in the exact outcome he wished for. Change ensued because of its direct correlation to both votes cast and riots that erupted. X proceeded to quote Patrick Henry when saying “Liberty or death was what brought about the freedom of whites in this country from the English. They didn’t care about the odds” (X n. pag.). Malcolm X blazoned that the same outcomes were present in the Civil Rights Movement as in the American Revolution. Resulting from this bold announcement, bounteous individuals cast aside the intimidating odds and feuded for liberty until death. While characterizing the American experience for blacks, X stated “We don’t see any American dream; we’ve experienced only the American nightmare” (n. pag.). With this example, X castigated the American system. This realization influenced much of his audience to amass behind X’s beliefs and revoke their titles as American. Malcolm’s excellent ability to enlighten people through the presentation of direct opposites allowed him to assemble a loyal party dedicated to his

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Patrick Henry and Malcolm Little (more commonly known as Malcolm X) were powerful spokesmen of their times. Years after Henry persuaded the United States president in time of the American Revolution to fight for the rights of Americans in his “Give me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, Little encouraged the black community of his time to stand for their own deprived civil rights as a race in his own speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet.” While these two men stood at the head of separate movements in different points of history, both believed in a similar goal to be accomplished through the same means: to win their battle for the rights of Americans and African Americans through fighting hard, not necessarily through violence, but through whatever

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Ronith Murali 4th hour Mrs.Schmidt AP Language & Composition During the 60’s in America, the civil rights movements for African Americans was at it’s peak. Following Martin Luther King’s assassination, the common response to the tragedy was violence. Cesar Chavez writes this article in hopes of informing the American people that violence is not the answer, and that if they continued on King’s non-violent path to equality, it would bring about more change. When looking at Cesar Chavez ‘s article, one can clearly see that he is easily able to persuade his vengeful audience to cease the violent protests throughout America, by utilizing several examples of juxtaposition, rhetorical appeals, and impactful diction.

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To demonstrate, Malcolm X identifies himself as “one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism… [and] democracy” (2). This quote is an example of the combination of logos and ethos. He uses statistics as a fact to support his claim that African Americans are suffering in the United States and demonstrates his expertise with his identity as an African American, respectively. In addition, while identifying himself as a Muslim who practices Islam, Malcolm X tells his audiences that he is “not here to argue or discuss anything that we differ about, because it’s time for us to submerge our differences and realize that it is best for us to see that we have the same problem, a common problem…” (1). This quote clearly shows that Malcolm X is devoted in helping his people achieve equality, despite the fact that he is already a well-known and influential

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We know that in order to create an effective message whether on speech or paper, the three rhetorical appeals are essential. The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X demonstrates all three appeals superbly. Malcolm X himself builds ethos very well, as well as displays his automatic ethos. He also appeals to logos through an ample amount of solid reasoning and several facts. In this speech pathos is extremely well present and effective.

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X also had the ability to recognize what to do in order to excite them about his motivation. He included all the main rhetorical devices to achieve his audience assurance and plead them both logically and emotionally, encouraging them to earn their equality. X repetition of the word "the ballot or the bullet" helped him retain his concern in the audience’s mind, as he mentioned it after every new idea and related it to it. X speech was powerful and full of inspiration, and due to his confidence, syntax ,and use of formal English he was able to highlight the change he wants, and appear as a brilliant knowledgeable personality,he was able to end his speech in a heartening and motivational reminder stating , "The black nationalists aren't going to wait... In 1964, it's the ballot or the

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The speech opened the eyes of many blacks, inspiring a change to begin to occur. Through analogies, metaphors, and a vitriolic and urgent tone, Malcolm X concisely and clearly informs the audience of their mistreatment and encourages them to get their just deserts. X’s intelligence, passion, and oratorical skills helped make “The Ballot or the Bullet” one of the greatest rhetorical acts in black history. This phrase, “The Ballot or the Bullet”, truly defines Malcolm X’s stance on the current treatment of blacks and how he believes a violent response is necessary when all other means of communication are ignored or

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On June 28, 1964, the Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X delivered a very powerful speech. A speech called “By Any Means Necessary”. During the time of speech, the major issue of the United States was gaining the true rights of an African American. Although Slavery had been abolished, blacks were still treated as less than human. Over the years, they worked hard to get their rights and are continuing to do so.

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Malcolm X and his ideals are arguably a representation of the transition from the early 1950 's non-violent movement for integration to a more aggressive black power movement. Evidence of this is shown through powerful strands of his novel “The Ballot or the Bullet” including when he writes, “I don 't mean go out and get violent, but at the same time you should never be non-violent unless you run into some non-violence.” (Malcolm 439). In writing that members of the civil rights movement should never be non-violent he does so facetiously. This excerpt indicates a call for violence as a more powerful method for achieving the equality he feels they deserve.

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Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both two African American civil rights activists who were very prominent throughout history. They fought for what they believed in but in vastly different ways. Martin Luther King Jr. was born to a middle class family and was well educated. Malcolm X, on the other hand, grew up in a rather hostile environment with barely enough schooling. Both their speeches, “I Have a Dream” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” may have shared some common traits, but at the same time, differed greatly in various aspects.

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Introduction: Malcom X urges the Negro community to fight to gain the equal rights they deserve by taking action against their white oppressors. He emphasizes that blacks will gain their rights either thorough voting, with the ballot, or else through the inevitable violence with the bullet. Thesis [part a] Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also fighting for the civil rights of black Americans in the 1960s, but in a more peaceful manner, Malcom X takes a different approach.

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According to X, “The ballot or the bullet”... “Now in speaking like this, it doesn't mean that we're anti­-white, but it does mean we're anti­-exploitation,we're anti­-degradation, we're anti­-oppression. And if the white man doesn't want us to be anti-­him, let him stop oppressing and exploiting and degrading us”(Malcolm #2). The essence of Malcolm’s argument is that he is not anti white, he is anti whites oppressing and disenfranchising African Americans and if the white person wants to not be hated, then he should stop hating himself. In a letter written in Mecca, Malcolm X says,“on this pilgrimage, what I have seen,and experienced, has forced me to re-arrange much of my thought-patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions” (Malcolm X).

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